Key points
- Lots of scientific studies have shown that soda consumption is harmful to our health. It contributes to many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart and liver disease. Some research has found that soda can even increase the risk of dementia.
- Soda has no nutritional value and contains only added sugars and artificial flavourings, which are dangerous to our health.
- The best soda alternatives include sparkling waters, flavoured waters, maple water, coconut water, juices, lemonade, and coffee.
There is a lot of controversy around diet soda. Some people believe that it’s healthier than regular soda and even helps with weight loss, while others associate these beverages with many serious diseases. So what’s the truth?
Both regular and diet soda has no nutritional value, which means that it can’t benefit our health in any possible way. On the contrary, it can cause many dangerous health conditions. This is because these beverages are packed with added sugars, artificial flavours and sweeteners that harm our health and force us to crave these beverages time after time.
Top Reasons Why You Need To Quit Soda
Apart from being addictive and insanely high in sugar, soda can cause serious heart problems if it’s consumed regularly.
Numerous studies have shown that fizzy drink consumption can increase the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. There’s evidence that replacing just one sugary drink per day with coffee or tea can potentially decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25 per cent.
Soda is extremely high in sugar. Just one serving of regular soda can contain 9 ½ teaspoons of added sugars, while doctors recommend consuming no more than 9 teaspoons of sugar daily.
Pop consumption is tightly linked with tooth decay since sugar contained in these beverages causes the bacteria in our mouths to produce more acid, which then destroys the enamel.
All the sugar contained in soda also puts a significant amount of stress on your liver. As time passes, this causes the liver to convert sugar into fat. This can not only affect your weight but also cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Research also suggests that soda consumption increases the risk of dementia because of constant blood sugar spikes. Increased blood sugar levels are often associated with dementia and many other illnesses.
In addition, excess sugar contained in soda can increase uric acid levels, which can result in joint inflammation. The most common inflammation-related disease experienced from drinking soda is gout.
Regular soda consumption may even increase the risk of different types of cancer, including colorectal, pancreatic, and endometrial cancer, which is widespread in heavy soda drinkers.
Is Diet Soda Better?
Despite all the claims about its healthiness, diet soda isn’t much better than regular sugary pop. Research studies have found that artificial sweeteners used in diet soda change the way our brains react to sweetness. This can trigger additional sweet cravings. So even though diet soda contains fewer calories than regular soda, it can still lead to obesity. People tend to consume even more calories and exceed their daily norm because of sugar cravings from diet pop.
Healthy Soda Alternatives
Sparkling Spirulina Drinks
Sparkling water is the closest alternative to pop you can find. However, not all sparkling waters are healthy. Many of them contain added sugars and sweeteners, which means you’ll replace one sugary drink with another. Thus, it’s important to buy sparkling water from reputable brands such as sparkling spirulina drinks by FUL®. This healthy soda alternative is not only low in calories but is also packed with nutrients, minerals, antioxidants from spirulina extract.
Some people find it hard to switch from sweet pop directly to plain carbonated water, which is why you should try flavoured spirulina drinks by FUL® first. It’s a natural and healthy soft drink that will ease your soda cravings without harming your health.
Sparkling Water Infusions
Another soda alternative is homemade naturally flavoured carbonated water. You can add fresh herbs and fruits or vegetables such as cucumber to give your drink some taste and infuse it with vitamins. The options here are countless, and you should take time to experiment and discover what works for you.
Maple water
You should be careful not to confuse maple water with maple syrup that you pour over your pancakes. Maple water comes directly from maple trees, and it’s unprocessed sap that contains almost 98% water. It’s also very delicious and free of preservatives or additives.
Jeltzer: Juice and Seltzer
If you don’t like the taste of a regular seltzer, you can try mixing it with sweet and tart fruit juices such as grape or pomegranate. This will not only sweeten your drink but can also bring some great health benefits. This is because grapes are known to have potent heart health benefits, while pomegranate is known to help improve memory.
Coffee
Coffee is the best soda alternative if you drink soda only for a caffeine boost. It helps with mental alertness and improves physical performance when consumed in moderation. However, caffeine can cause anxiety and shaking if you overdo it, so it’s recommended to control how much coffee you consume. It’s best to opt for plain black coffee without added sugars and artificial flavours. But if you want to make the drink more interesting, low-fat or plant milk is a good option.
Tea
Tea in all its forms is one of the most popular options on this list of soda alternatives. You can drink it hot or iced, and it’s also a calorie-free drink that comes in lots of different flavours. You can also try drinking green tea if you want to boost your antioxidant consumption. Kombucha, a fermented tea, is also worth trying if you want to have something carbonated. Kombucha also contains lots of healthy gut-friendly bacteria known as probiotics, which help to improve gut health.
Lemonade
Homemade lemonade is a great drink that will keep you hydrated and provide you with lots of vitamins. You can also add a few slices of lime and mint for additional flavours. If the drink is too sour for you, try adding a healthy sugar substitute such as stevia or pure maple syrup.
Juice
If you own a juicer, then you can try to experiment by making different juices to drink instead of soda. These will give you a boost of nutrients and provide many health benefits. While fruit juices will satisfy your sweet cravings, vegetable juices will really help you to cut back both on sugar and on calories.
Coconut Water
Just like maple water, coconut water is also a great hydrating drink full of vitamins and minerals. Additionally, coconut water contains a lot of electrolytes and is a great option for those who crave something more than just plain water.
FAQ
What to drink when you’re craving soda?
If you are really craving soda, there are a lot of healthy options you can have instead. For example, some of the best options include sparkling flavoured waters such as sparkling spirulina drink by FUL®, tea or coffee, kombucha, juices, maple water, and coconut water.
What is the healthiest drink besides water?
Sparkling spirulina drink by FUL® is one the healthiest soda alternatives after water. It’s loaded with nutrients and minerals that will only benefit your body. Spirulina contains high levels of vitamins B1, B2 and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and manganese.
What can I drink instead of soda for caffeine?
If you are craving caffeine, try switching from soda to plain black coffee or green tea. These drinks are much healthier than caffeinated pop, and they won’t harm your health.
What can I drink to replace soda?
Good soda alternatives include coffee, sparkling water, tea, homemade lemonade, maple water, flavoured waters, and coconut water.
